She Strengthens

Healthcare Takes Center Stage in the 2020 Democratic Presidential Primary

As the 2020 Democratic presidential primary election heats up, one issue stands out as a top priority for voters: healthcare. With 35% of American voters considering healthcare policy an “extremely important” issue, according to a recent Gallup poll, it’s no wonder candidates are putting forth comprehensive plans to address the nation’s healthcare woes.

The Current State of Healthcare in America

Signed into law in 2010, the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has had a significant impact on the US healthcare system, increasing access to health coverage and insuring over 20 million Americans. However, despite its successes, the ACA still leaves tens of millions of Americans without health insurance, and many more underinsured. The issue of healthcare was a major driver in the 2018 midterm elections, and it remains a central concern for voters in the 2020 election.

The Candidates’ Healthcare Plans

So, where do the remaining Democratic candidates stand on fixing the healthcare system? Here’s a breakdown of their plans:

Bernie Sanders: Medicare for All

Senator Bernie Sanders’s Medicare for All plan is the most transformative of the bunch. This national, single-payer health insurance system would make healthcare “free at the point of service,” eliminating premiums, deductibles, copays, and surprise bills. Sanders argues that the current US healthcare system is bankrupting Americans and that Medicare for All would be economically viable, saving hundreds of billions of dollars and tens of thousands of lives.

Joe Biden: Affordable Care Act 2.0

Former Vice President Joe Biden’s healthcare plan would improve and expand coverage under the ACA. His plan outlines ways to build on the ACA, including offering a public option like Medicare, alleviating the burden on small businesses, and covering primary healthcare without co-pays. Biden’s goal is to insure 97% of Americans or more.

Elizabeth Warren: Medicare for All with a Transition Period

Senator Elizabeth Warren’s plan supports Medicare for All, but with a transition period during her first four years in office. Her plan would give the federal government bargaining power to negotiate drug prices, lower administrative costs, and substantially decrease defense spending. Warren’s plan has faced criticism over its math, but she argues that employers would bear the brunt of the burden, and she would make up for it with targeted spending cuts, new taxes on giant corporations, and cracking down on tax evasion.

Michael Bloomberg: A Public Option

Former Mayor of New York Michael Bloomberg supports a Medicare-like public option to expand healthcare coverage, which would be paid for by customer premiums. His plan would improve consumer choices, lower premiums, and increase competition in the healthcare marketplace. Bloomberg would also cap out-of-network hospital charges, ban surprise medical bills, and reduce drug costs by giving the Secretary of Health and Human Services the authority to negotiate with pharmaceutical companies.

Tulsi Gabbard: Medicare for All

Tulsi Gabbard backs Medicare for All and co-sponsored the Medicare for All Act in the House. Her healthcare plan includes utilizing telehealth and remote patient monitoring services, lowering the cost of prescription drugs, and pulling the US out of “counterproductive regime-change” wars to reinvest those dollars in programs like Medicare for All.

The Stakes Are High

For tens of thousands of Americans, healthcare policy is literally a matter of life and death. Expanding coverage under the ACA’s Medicaid expansion has saved lives, and the healthcare plans of the 2020 candidates are crucial factors to consider when casting a ballot. As voters head to the polls, they’ll be weighing the pros and cons of each candidate’s plan, searching for a solution that will bring affordable, quality healthcare to all Americans.